A celebratory event for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) victory turned tragic when a massive crowd crush outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru claimed 11 lives, including a 14-year-old girl. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, visibly emotional, said the entire state was watching and that the government is deeply sorry for the loss. “We are suffering with the people. I can't express the pain. Never expected this,” he said, adding that there is no intention to politicize the tragedy.

The incident occurred as over 2.5 lakh fans gathered to welcome RCB players, especially cricket icon Virat Kohli. Despite police presence, the overwhelming turnout surpassed expectations, leading to a stampede. The Karnataka Attorney General told the High Court that while deployment was adequate, the unexpected crowd surge created chaos. All victims were under 40 years of age. DK Shivakumar emphasized that the lives of the people, especially the youth, are his priority and assured that he would not escape responsibility or questions raised by opposition parties like BJP and JDS.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing comparisons with past tragedies like the Kumbh Mela, acknowledged the gravity of the situation but appealed for calm, stating such incidents have unfortunately occurred before. DK Shivakumar stated that neither the Police Commissioner nor the event organizers had formal permission, and that the government would soon introduce new guidelines to prevent such disasters in the future. “I will come up with a solid plan to avoid any such tragedies. We have to rectify what went wrong,” he added. A cabinet meeting on the matter is expected to follow shortly.